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Government Shutdown Halts Plane Crash Investigations

A
small plane went down last week outside of Julian, California, killing
52-year-old Roberta Ann Rose and 55-year-old Andrew William Thulin. In the
aftermath of a plane crash such as this one, the government normally sends
investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and/or the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). However, with the government
shutdown now stretching into its 15th day, no government representatives are
investigating this crash, and the families and friends of Rose and Thulin are
left looking for answers.

According
to NBC San Diego, nearly 3,000 inspectors with the FAA have been furloughed
due to the government shutdown, including 20 FAA officials based in San Diego.
Former FAA air traffic controller John Wilfong is frustrated with the shutdown
and the resulting furlough of his old coworkers. "We still don't know if
there was a mechanical problem," said Wilfong of last week's crash in a
remote area outside of Julian.

Linda
Goodrich, vice president of Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, whose
union represents FAA investigators, told NBC that an air carrier accident would
trigger an FAA investigation, along with a crash involving "somebody of
high visibility." She added that FAA workers are "outraged over the
fact that aviation safety and the safety of the public is going second to
politics." The investigators are by no means alone with those feelings.
The family of Roberta Rose were frustrated in the aftermath of the crash, as no
federal or regional agencies reached out tothe
family to provide information. The family actually found out about the fatal
crash through a friend.

Clearly,
this government shutdown is doing more than just economic damage.

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